


Tale of a Cabin Girl

by CubanCracker62



Category: Pirate101 (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Pirates, its my first time posting anything, pls dont judge if I screw up AO3 is really confusing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 20:22:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8728852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CubanCracker62/pseuds/CubanCracker62
Summary: Kaitlyn Everhart was just an energetic young cabin girl on a pirate ship for the past 11 years. However, she one day ran astray of the notorious Clockwork Armada, and after a lucky escape found herself starting over as a young pirate captain. But is she really prepared for such a position? And can she keep herself and her crew one step ahead of the Armada?





	1. Origins

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I finally moved this fic over to Ao3! This site seems really nice :D Still trying to figure out the ropes, but I think I'm managing pretty well.  
> To those reading this for the first time, welcome! I really do hope you enjoy my story; Pirate101 is my favorite game in terms of story, after all.  
> But for now, without further ado, enjoy the show!

    The sky was tinged pink as the sun was setting. The _Red Midnight_ was docked in Port Regal Harbor, rocking gently on the wind, while the island's inhabitants wrapped up their business for the night. A short, squat figure made his way down the docks towards the large galleon, leading along a smaller, scrawnier figure. His clothing was slightly dirty or torn at places from a fight, and he was sporting a few bandages to show for it. He paused before the ship and called out. Then someone appeared over the railing.  
  
    "Well, look what the cat dragged in. Gaspard DeVole! Been a while since I' seen ye," said the dog. His fur was long and russet, streaked with pale gray, and he wore a bandanna and an ordinary cheap travel coat.  
  
    "Ahaha. I see what you did there, Oliver. You think you are _so_  funny, no?" The hamster's voice was tinged with a heavy Valencian accent. His fur was blonde, more heavily streaked with gray from age, and he wore armor and kept his weapon ready as if he expected an attack at any moment. "Listen, I need to talk to Gale; it's important. Can you _please_  get him?" The seriousness in his tone and facial features, usually absent when the two met, caught Oliver's attention. For him to act this serious... He nodded and hurried off to the lower deck to find his captain. There were footsteps as he returned with a casually dressed figure.  
  
    "Ho there! Captain 'Stormy' Nathan Gale, at your service," he said, with a dramatic flourish of his arm. "You called for me?" He had shaggy, curly brown hair and some degree of facial hair. Normally, he wore a brown-and-blue cloak as well as his trademark hat with jade beads, but he left these in his quarters today. He noticed the little girl, and raised an eyebrow. "Who's that with you?"  
  
    "She's the reason I came here." This piqued his interest.  
  
    "All right, then. Come on deck; if you need to talk to me, I'd like to do it face-to face." He gestured toward the gangplank. Gratefully, Gaspard trod up the walkway onto the _Midnight_  with her.  
  
    " _Grazie, amico,_ " he said, reverting briefly to Valencian.  
  
    "All right, then, what brings you here? Actually, why aren't any of the others here as well?"  
  
    "Ah... How will I say this... You remember _mi_   _capitano_ , Linda, right?" he started, a bit hesitantly.  
  
    "'Course. Why, what's wrong?"  
  
    "She's dead," he stated bluntly. This shocked and alarmed Gale, and a few others that happened to be listening; they were good friends with Linda Everhart. "So are the others."  
  
    "But how?!?" A rat crewmate asked.  
  
    "We were raiding a very small Armada fort. Very remote, and we were very careful. We didn't notice that one of out crewmates was planning something. Boris," he said darkly, "betrayed us. I do not know why. He was a traitor, and I do not know if he just turned or was that way from the start. He let them know we were coming. I only survived because I happened to be the one guarding the ship, and Kaitlyn was left on it with me."  
  
    "You mean her?" Oliver gestured to the young girl that Gaspard was with. He nodded.  
  
    "Go on; say hello," he said to Kaitlyn.  
  
    "Hi." She spoke, slightly nervous at all these new people.  
  
    She was wearing an oversize shirt, clearly meant for an adult, fastened with a belt so it more resembled a tunic, and breeches that reached past her knees. She was also wearing sandals. He noticed that her eyes were a deep green. However, the most unusual feature about her was that her hair was stark _white_. "Why does she look like that?"  
  
    "I changed her hair. It used to be brown, like her mother's, but she looked too much like her. I had to change it so no one would see the resemblance. I think I accidentally messed up though, because it turned white..." He trailed off, glancing at her hair. "My mistake." He grinned a bit sheepishly.  
  
    "And her mother would be...?" He asked, getting back on topic.  
  
    "Linda." Again, Gale raised an eyebrow. "Again, that's why I'm here. You owed Linda a favor; she saved your life not once, but twice. Now that she's dead, no one can take care of Kaitlyn. Can you look after her?"  
  
    Gale hesitated. This was completely unexpected; He could sink several ships, no problem. He hadn't the slightest inkling of how to take care of a _child_. She inched out from behind him, more curious about them than apprehensive.  
  
    "Answer this: Why can't you do it? How do we know you're not just pushing her off onto us?" asked a different crewmate, a  
she-cat.  
  
    "The Armada is still after me. I know one place where I can disappear for a while, but I cannot take her with me. Also, I can't protect her myself; I can't even keep getting enough food for both of us. And if the Armada finds me..." He didn't finish, but they got the message. "At least take care of her until she can handle herself. She's five years old-- old enough to help out around the ship, whatever you want her to do. Like a cabin boy."  
  
    "Girl," the she-cat corrected.  
  
    "Girl." The look in his eyes was desperate. " _Per favore_ , can you do it?"  
  
    Gale said nothing for what seemed a long time; he stared at Kaitlyn, then he heaved a sigh. "All right, _maybe_. What do you guys think? You up to it?" By now, most of the small crew had come around and was listening in. Some nodded or said agreement, others simply shrugged; Gale owed a massive favor, and favors were one of the few absolutes in the pirate world. To break a favor was to be lower than sky-scum. As long as she respected her fellow crewmates-to-be and pulled her weight, they were fine with having another crewmate. "I suppose that's a yes." Assured, he knelt down closer to her level.   
  
    "One more thing," he added, addressing Kaitlyn now. "We're not gonna go easy on you; you have to do your part. Do you really think you can handle living with us?" he asked her. To his satisfaction, she drew herself up, her jaw set and determined, all previous apprehension gone now.  
  
    "'Course I can! I'm not a sissy!"  
  
    "And what if you can't?" She thought for a second.  
  
    "I'll find a way!" She looked at him directly, her eyes solid with determination. Searching them, he had no doubt left; she had a strong will too, especially for a five year-old. He was surprised at her composure, considering what she had been through the past couple weeks.  
  
    _Good,_  he thought. _She'll need both_. He stood back up, rubbing his hands together. "All right. We'll take her." Gaspard grinned, showing his relief and satisfaction.  
  
    " _Grazie_ , Gale. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to go." He roughly smacked his gloved hand on her shoulder. "Stay alive, alright?" She nodded; she cared about him, too, almost like an uncle. Gaspard was the last person she truly knew, and he was leaving too; It would be difficult for her to let him leave her here, but she knew he had to. After all, she wasn't stupid. Gaspard also exchanged a farewell with the crew of the _Midnight_ , and promptly left. They watched him make his way down the dock and disappear into Port Regal. It was quiet again, save for the wind. Some time passed, they didn't know how much, before someone broke the tension.  
  
    "Well, Terry's not going to like this, taking in a five-year-old," Oliver said, nervously chuckling to himself. Terry Silvers was Gale's firstmate, a human.  
  
    "Eh, he never likes anything. This isn't the first time I've decided something without him," Gale replied, sensing the attempt to ease the mood and joining in. Terry could get to be really pessimistic, and often thought Gale's actions were wild, crazy, and 'unnecessary'. He beckoned her to follow him. "Come on, let's get you a hammock and introduce you to the rest of the crew."


	2. Eleven Years Later

    “You're sure you want to do this?” asked Oliver. “We've never pulled anything like this before. Attackin' an Armada base is really risky, especially now.” The crew of the _Red Midnight_ was gathered in their regular hideout, discussing plans for future raids in a small wooden shack.  
  
    “Just being a pirate in itself is risky. Sounds to me like someone's being a coward,” laughed a she-cat, named Opal.  
  
    “Oi! I'm just bein' careful, cos unlike _someone_ here, I would like to _avoid_ getting caught and killed by those Clockworks!”  
  
    “Break it up, guys, we've got other things to worry about,” sighed Gale. Nathan Gale was the captain of the crew. “Sorry, Oliver, but unless you have a better method of raising a lot of money in one day, we're going to have to do this.”  
  
    “All right, but I still don't like it,” he grumbled.  
  
    “None of us do. Now, let's go over this one more time to make sure we have it down.”  
  
    “We already went over it three times!”  
  
    “It never hurts to be sure,” he replied. Gale pointed to the map of Tradewinds on the table. “An Armada fort is being constructed, around here. We'll take the _Midnight_ , and strike them right before it's finished, when there aren't as many Clockworks. When we attack them, most of us will be the diversion, fighting, yelling, smashing stuff; basically we're going to get their attention and keep them occupied. They'll think we're the problem, and try to fight us off. That's where you three come in.” With that, he glanced up at Opal, his firstmate Terry Silvers, and a wharf rat crewmate named Neil, leaning against the wooden slats of the wall.  
  
    “Yeah, yeah, we head up to the second floor, grab all the documents and books we find, and head back to the ship without getting caught, while you fellas cause a big ruckus and destroy the generator keeping it floating. We got it,” said Opal.  
  
    “You make it sound like it would be easy to not get caught.”  
  
    “It _will_ be easy,” she claimed, flipping out a dagger and pinning the map to the table with ease, just to emphasize her point. “That's why we're the ones doing it, remember?”  
  
    “Good point.”  
  
    “What's in those files that would be so valuable anyway?” asked Kaitlyn, her curiosity getting the better of her, as always.  
  
    “Most likely plans to make more Armada strongholds in Skull Island,” he said. “The Armada has allies, but not friends in Skull Island. Whatever those files are, we can sell them to Resistance members for some good coin.”  
  
    “And we can steal some of the supplies in the fort, too,” chimed Kaitlyn. At this, Gale glanced upward.  
  
    "Ohhh, no. I know that look, Kaitlyn," He warned. "No. No, no, _no_."  
  
    "Oh, come on! How come I'm not allowed to go?" she crossed her arms in defiance.  
  
    "This is the Armada we're up against. You could get yourself _killed_!"  
  
    "We're always running that risk!"  
  
    "This is different, and you know it."  
  
    "I'm not five anymore, Gale. I know how to fight. So for once, let me fight with you guys!"  
  
    Gale gave her a hard look. "I'm not breaking my promise to Gaspard by letting you get killed by the same ones that murdered Linda!" He immediately regretted that word choice as soon as it came out. Kaitlyn flinched at this, and the room went awkwardly silent. Gale couldn't take it back, but he still kept his gaze steady, and she upheld hers under it. No one said a word; no one wanted to intervene after the weight of what he had said. After a minute, she sighed in defeat and spoke.  
  
    "Fine. Go do whatever," she said, a tad bitterly, turning to walk out. "I'll be on the ship." And with that, she opened the door and walked out into the sandy cove, letting the wooden plank door slam behind her.  
  
    "That was... interesting," remarked Terry. "I swear, she's as headstrong as an ox."  
  
    "Tell me about it," Gale replied. He looked around and addressed the rest of his crew in the dusty old shack. "All right, lads, start preparing. We head out before dawn."  
  


* * *

  
    That night, the stars seemed dimmer than usual. The wind blew gently, rocking the tied-down ship and creaking the same familiar little lullaby that Kaitlyn had listened to for the past eleven years. She was up in the crow's nest, her favorite spot on the ship; it didn't matter the time of day, she would often be up there.  
  
    Especially when she was upset.  
  
    Kaitlyn was now sixteen years old, and had grown a lot since she first arrived on the _Red Midnight_ ; that didn't mean she was very tall, which Terry often went out of his way to point out and make fun of. Her hair was still white, but she actually became fond of her 'unique hair color', and often wore a green bandanna. She wore a shoulderless blouse and a blue vest, as well as a skirt with breeches underneath, and she also wore short brown boots.  
  
    From the day she first stepped on the _Midnight_ , she always had a knack for discovery and a thirst for adventure. The latter tended to get her into a few sticky situations, often ending in a disapproving lecture and a laugh from Gale. Yes, it was dangerous, but that's what being a pirate was all about: seeing the Spiral in a light that no one else saw, unclouded by blind loyalty to any one side, willing to help or harm anyone depending on their actions alone rather than their allies. The treasure-hunting was just a nice bonus.  
  
    "Can't sleep, kiddo?" Kaitlyn snapped out of her thoughts, looking over to the edge of the crow's nest and seeing Oliver's russet and gray head peeking over the rim.  
  
    "I was going to, in a minute. Wanna come in?"  
  
    "Don't mind if I do." he clambered in, none too quietly, and sat down across from her. "Wotcha up to?"  
  
    "Just stargazing a bit."  
  
    "Bull," he argued. "We all saw what happened between you and Gale earlier. So tell me for real this time," he asked. "Wotcha thinkin' exactly?"  
  
    "Jeez, fine," she replied. "It's just that... I know how to fight, but at this rate I feel like all I'll ever be is just the cabin girl, doing chores on the ship while you guys actually get to go on adventures."  
  
    "Just for the record, you _do_. Not everyone gets to go seein' the Skyways at your age," he said. "Besides, you're not going to be a cabin girl forever." He paused for a second. "Tell you what. Next time, I'll help convince Gale to let you try your skills on a real raid. How's that sound?" She looked up in surprise.  
  
    "Really?" She began to beam. "You'd do that?"  
  
    "Sure I would." Next thing he knew, he was being tackled by her in an overly-excited hug.  
  
    "Thankyouthankyou _thankyou!_ "  
  
    "Agh, kid, you're goin' ta crush m' ribs..." he gasped, pushing her off. "An' don't thank me; I've sparred with you. You're gettin' pretty good, and you're one of the fastest fighters I've seen yet. I mean, you ran across the cove in two seconds flat; that's forty meters!"  
  
    "I wasn't _that_  fast..." Kaitlyn protested.  
  
    "You were, and you know it. I know what I saw." After that, they were silent for a minute.  
  
    "So why are you up here?" she asked, feeling better.  
  
    "Nothin' gets past ya, does it?" he chuckled. "All right. It's about tomorrow. I don't know how everybody else is sleepin' so well, it's still a crazy idea," he said.  
  
    "Come off it, it's not a huge deal. It's not like we're going to Valencia and bombing Kane's doorstep. It's just a small isolated fort."  
  
    "I don't know. It's just a hunch, but I've got a bad feelin' about this. And before you try ta tell me I'm just bein' paranoid, know that my hunches have never been wrong before," he added.  
  
    "Yeah, okay, I suppose. I'll keep it in mind." She got up and started climbing down the rigging. "I'm going to get some sleep. 'Night," she called to him before heading down.  
  
    "G'night," he replied. "And good luck," he added under his breath. He didn't know why, but he just felt he needed to.  
  


* * *

  
  
    The sky was only beginning to turn light when they cast off. A third of the crew remained behind to manage the small cove that the band of pirates now called a hideout and a home, wishing them luck. The ship sailed past a jetty, and the cove could no longer be seen by the ship's passengers.  
  
    "Terry, can you get us as close as possible without them seeing us? Surprising them will make things easier," asked Gale.  
  
    "Aye, I'll try. It won't be easy, though, so when I say so, stay quiet, all of you."  
  
    "All right." He turned to the others on deck. "You guys can relax, it'll be at least half an hour till we get there." Everyone remained up on the top deck with their weapons laid down near them; not only to be ready at a moment's notice, but to also enjoy the fresh air of the cool, humid morning, watching the sky slowly turn a paler shade of blue every minute.  
  
    "Oliver, can you go check the cargo hold?" asked Terry. "I want to know if we have enough room for whatever we might find there."  
  
    "And bring up a keg of sparkpowder while you're at it, please," added Gale.  
  
    "Aye." He got up, stretched for a spell, and made his way down the stairs to the lower decks, and then the cargo hold. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the dimness. Soon, he could make out a couple piles of barrels and crates; enough supplies to last two days. Not that they would need that much, if everything went smoothly.   
  
     _If_. That uneasy gut feeling of Oliver's returned with a bitter vengeance.  
  
    He stepped down from the ladder and made his way over to the pile of sparkpowder kegs. By now, his eyes had fully adjusted, and he had no trouble walking across the curved bottom of the ship. He took note that there was plenty of room left on the hold, and they could very well take in most of the supplies they planned to 'liberate'. Stopping, he grabbed one and lifted it up, only for something to catch his eye in the dark, behind the keg he just lifted up. Startled, he stepped closer and looked around behind the barrels: what he saw made him groan.  
  
    "Well, well," he said. "It looks like we 'ave a li'l stowaway on board."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wordbuilding time! (I'm going to often add some notes here regarding my interpretations of certain phenomena in the Spiral, to hopefully clarify a couple things.)  
> ~ Sparkpowder is the stuff used in guns in the Spiral. Because of its power by itself, actual bullets are usually not used in guns (except in special cases, like silver bullets). It's retrieved from Storm clouds in the Skyways.  
> ~DAY AND NIGHT CYCLES EXIST. Yes, even in Marleybone. But the "daytime" there is gonna be a bit different; kinda like early morning, before the sun rises and you can still see a few stars out.


	3. Only Everything Goes Horribly Wrong

     _This is a bad idea,_  she thought. _This is a really, REALLY bad idea_.  
  
    Nevertheless, once it struck Kaitlyn that she could sneak onboard the ship before they cast off, she couldn't think of anything else. Finally being able to fight back against those hollow men that left her orphaned... She thought about it after she left the shack the previous day, but the guilt of the idea didn't really strike her until Oliver offered to back her up in convincing Gale to let her go on the next run. She felt another pang of guilt from the way Oliver glared at her.  
  
    "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" she said.  
  
    "Damn right, you are," he said. "Did Gale not give you a _direct_  order that you were stayin' behind?!" She cringed.  
  
    "Gale never tries to fight the Armada! When else am I going to get a chance to fight the same ones that killed my mom?" she argued.  
  
    "So that's it, huh? It's about revenge, is it?" he replied. "I got news for you, kiddo. Revenge never solved anythin'."  
  
    "It's not really that..."  
  
    "Well, wha' is it then?" he snapped.  
  
    "I want to know that I can fight them... you know, without dying, like she did. I-it's kinda hard to explain..." she mumbled. They both went quiet for a minute. Oliver glared at her for what felt like hours, and then cursed under his breath.  
  
    "God, I can't believe I'm doin' this," he muttered. "Look, here's a deal. You stay quiet down here and _don't. Go. Anywhere_. Don't leave the ship, don't leave this hold, don't even make a _sound_... and maybe-- just maybe-- I won't tell anyone what you just tried to pull. Put one more toe out of line, and I won't hesitate to march you straight up to Gale. Got it?" She nodded. "Good. I don't think anyone 'eard us," he said, looking up. "They're all up top."  
  
    "Hey, Oliver! We need some of that sparkpowder!" Opal called down from the upper deck.  
  
    "All right, all right! I'm comin' already!" he called back, making his way back to the ladder. He turned back and gestured for Kaitlyn to get back down behind the barrels. Afterward, he climbed back up to the top deck.  
  


* * *

  
    "Took you long enough." Opal stood at the top of the ladder leading down.  
  
    "What, didja get lost down there?" Gale poked fun at him.  
  
    "Ah, shut yer gob," he replied.  
  
    "Both of you shut it," said Terry. "We're here." At this, the two turned towards the bow and saw their target: a small Clockwork stronghold, protected by a conical metal roof, twice as big as the _Midnight_. Large wings rotated around the sides.  
  
    "Stay sharp lads," said Gale. He carefully sailed the _Midnight_  towards the fort, silently moving through the clouds. Being shaded by a nearby mainland, it was still dark enough that they wouldn't be able to distinguish the ship as friend or foe until they got close; that was their chance. He expertly maneuvered the ship so fast that they managed to get to the dock before anything happened.  
  
    "You two stay and guard the ship," Gale ordered a couple of crewmates; the rest of the crew quickly disembarked and began running down the docks. They were halfway to the entrance before they heard an alarm blare.  
  
    "They're a bit slow on the pick-up, eh, Captain?" remarked Opal. Gunfire erupted in front of them; immediately the musketeers on their crew returned fire. Gale reached for his broadsword, unsheathed it, and swung it downward in front of him, instantly cleaving a charging marine in two. There was only a small number of Clockworks there, and they were quickly taken care of by the others.  
  
    "Let's hurry upstairs, before more come and see us!" called Terry. Opal and the rat Neil quickly followed his lead. They began heading for the second floor staircase when they heard an ominously heavy clanking behind them. Concerned, Terry paused and turned to look, just in time to see an unusual sort of cannon, wielded by something much larger, pointed directly at his crewmates. He opened his mouth to shout, but his voice didn't come in time.  
  
     _BOOM_.  
  
    " _OPAL!_ " It was too late; she stumbled and fell from the impact. Neil whirled around and saw Opal lying dead on the stairs. He quickly looked up in time to see her attacker, a split second before hearing another click and fire from behind, and his vision faded quickly to nothing.  
  
    Terry froze. What were these things? Some sort of huge new soldier? Taking a better look, he saw that they also wielded a large sword easily as big as Gale's. He shook himself out of his shock and narrowly dodged a sword swing from the one that hit Opal. Its massive blade got stuck in the wood floor, buying him time. He turned to the others to see ten or more of the metal brutes appearing around them. _Where the heck did these things even come from?_  he thought. He saw Gale, Oliver, and several others defending, but it was painfully obvious: they were badly outmatched.  
  


* * *

  
    Kaitlyn slightly jumped at the loud, unmistakable noise outside. _Cannon fire? Inside the fort?_  she thought. Before she could think further on it, she heard the sound of heavy footsteps, a couple swords clashing and another cannon shot, this time much closer and _definitely_  coming from the upper deck. _Something's up_ , she thought. She heard the same metal clanking and footsteps head towards the back of the ship, where the stairs were.  
  
    She realized that whatever was on board was coming, and it was dangerous. She grabbed a cannonball in one hand, a handful of sparkpowder from one of the kegs in the other, and rushed to the spare cannon they always kept down in the hold. Quickly, she loaded the cannon, aimed the barrel towards the ladder on the other end of the ship, and sat ready to light the fuse. By that time, whatever was coming was already at the top of the ladder, and was beginning to clamber its way down. From what it looked like, it seemed to be a massive Clockwork of some sort. When it hit the bottom step, she struck the flint, lighting the fuse. The thing only had enough time to turn around to investigate the hissing sound the fuse was making before it was blown backwards.  
  
     _BOOM_. Kaitlyn hit her mark at virtually point-blank range, punching a hole clean through its breastplate. It stumbled, hit the ladder behind it, and fell, its central wiring completely destroyed.  
  
    "Yeah-haha! Eat that!" she laughed, leaping to her feet. She hopped over the cargo towards the broken Clockwork for a closer look. It was easily twice her height, and was completely covered in heavy armor an inch thick. Its mask resembled that of a frowning bird's, and it wore a black navy-style cap on its head. It was also wielding a huge two-handed broadsword slightly bigger than Gale's, and a small cannon fashioned into a rifle. She was suddenly very glad that she didn't have to face it in a real battle; without that cannon fire, she wouldn't have stood half a chance.  
  
    Another explosion outside startled her, and she realized: if Clockworks like these were here, the others were in serious trouble. Without second thought, she headed up.  
  
    On her way up, she grabbed a spare rapier from the hold; it was simple, with a steel blade, a simple polished cross-guard, and a comfortably worn leather grip. She'd used this one in practice a few times, so at least she was familiar with it.  _It'll do_ , she thought, sprinting up the ladder, heading up to the top deck. What she saw when she emerged on deck made her sick to her stomach; both of the crewmates left to guard the ship were dead. _Focus_ , she drove herself. _You can't do anything about it, just keep going_. Nevertheless, it still burned in her memory for weeks to come.  
  
    The ship's right side was facing the dock, with the fore facing the stronghold and the bowsprit (the long beam protruding from the front, usually above the figurehead) only a short distance from the windows of the fort. She hopped onto the front, sprinted up the bowsprit, and leaped for the nearest window in the fort. She managed to reach it, stumbling inside somewhat less than gracefully. Looking around, she saw she had landed in some sort of second floor balcony; it was circular, surrounding a large area above the first floor. It seemed empty, save for several large mechanisms and a few supplies.  
  
    She was immediately distracted, though, by a commotion below. She leaned towards the balcony's edge and peered over. She saw the others; some fighting, and to her dismay, some collapsed. They were surrounded by the same gigantimundo Clockworks as the one she wrecked, as well as some standard-issue ones. However, one was different: it was about normal height, and was wearing nice, formal clothing, not meant for fighting. It wore a black cloak, dark grey formal wear, a _ridiculously_  tall tricorne hat, and a Valencian mask with only the upper half of its features formed. He appeared to be the leader, judging by how he held himself and spoke to them in a slightly bored manner. She immediately disliked him on the spot.  
  
    _Think of something_ , she told herself. What could she do? She couldn't even beat _one_ on her own. "Dammit, I need to think of these things before going all gung-ho like that," she cursed herself. Kaitlyn turned to see what she had to work with: A bunch of gears and cogs running along the wall, working one of the wings outside, and a few piles of the earlier mentioned supplies. "Bingo," she said, and went to work.  
  


* * *

  
    "Captain Nathan Gale, was it?" asked Deacon. "If I had known that you and your ragtag crew would be caught so easily," he gloated.  
  
    "I hate you so much."  
  
    "The feeling is mutual. Take him," he said, gesturing slightly. "As for the others, kill them. They're no use." A bolt of panic shot through him. He didn't know what to do; they were outmatched and couldn't make a move.  
  
    Luckily, at that moment, a long, drawn-out screeching noise of metal grinding on metal resounded, and the fort began listing heavily.  
  
    "What the-?" remarked Oliver, thrown off balance. It threw off all the Clockworks as well, their internal systems unable to keep their balance. "What are you gits waiting for? _RUN!_ " he yelled. Seeing their chance, they ran as if the entire Armada was on their heels, straight towards the ship.  
  
    "Do not let them escape!" he heard Deacon yell. Gunfire erupted sometimes from both sides, but it was pretty much ineffective at stopping them by that point. In the confusion, Gale noticed that Deacon had disappeared.  _Good riddance_ , he thought, rushing to take the helm.  
  
    "Everyone on?" he asked. Seeing that everyone still alive had made it, he turned the ship away to set sail.  
  
\-------  
  
    _I better hurry, or they'll leave without me_ , thought Kaitlyn. A couple well-placed metal poles stuck between the gears had brought them to a literal grinding halt. She turned back towards the window she came in, only to find herself staring down the barrel of a pistol.  
  
    "What..? But you were down there, when did you get up here!?"  
  
    Deacon didn't give her time to draw her weapon. In a flash, he lowered his pistol to just above her heart and fired, the shock only enough to knock her out cold.  
  
    "All this preparation, and we only catch a little girl," he stated coldly. "Kane will not be pleased." He glanced through the window, seeing their ship getting smaller in the distance. "No matter. We will have to question her instead."  
  


* * *

  
  
    The first thing Oliver did after helping everyone left back on the ship was head downstairs to check the hold; after all, only he knew about Kaitlyn. He kept thinking on how that stupid gut feeling of his was right all along.  
  
    "But did anyone listen ta me? _Noooooo_ ," he muttered to himself. "That git Gale's gonna get 'imself killed one day, I swear!" He stopped at the top of the ladder, immediately noticing the dark shape below. Worried, he hopped down, taking in the scene: the ruined Clockwork tank soldier at the foot of the ladder, with its now smashed armor. His eyes adjusting, he saw the still smoking cannon at the other end of the hold. Without hesitating, he rushed to Kaitlyn's hiding spot. _She didn't_ , he thought. Unsurprisingly, there was no one there.  
  
    "Oliver, we need you up top... Woah," entered Gale, seeing the wreckage. "What happened here?" He then saw Oliver's grim expression. "What's wrong now?" Oliver hesitated; he didn't enjoy the idea of telling Gale he let her stay. Instead, he only picked up a stray silver hair, caught on the wood, and showed it to him.  
  
    "She's still back there," said Oliver.   
  
    "Dear god," cursed Gale. "I told her to stay put!"  
  
    "So did I!" At that, he was confused. "I, uh... caught 'er down here earlier, and... well, I told her I wouldn't tell anybody if she stayed down here and didn't go anywhere..." he admitted guiltily. Gale was incredulous, but before he could say anything, Oliver spoke. "Look, that doesn't matter right now, she needs help!"  
  
    "I'm not going to just throw away the lives of everyone we have left." Oliver stopped; he knew that Gale was right. There was no turning back. "Look, I get it. But we barely got out alive just now, and we lost more than half of us. Just..." He stopped, unable to think straight after everything that happened that morning, and turned back to the ladder. "Just drop it, and bring up some more bandages, will ya?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worldbuilding time!  
> -Armada fortresses are held up by those gigantic Da-Vinci-style wings. Take out all those suckers and it'll sink like the Titanic. (She only took out one, out of probably about four or five, so that's why it doesn't sink.)  
> -The windows in the fort were built there for artillery such as cannons, so there wasn't any glass in them. I didn't place a random window in a heavily armored fortress for kicks xD  
> -The giant Clockworks are Armada Dragoons, like the ones you first see in the tutorial.


	4. Aboard the Erebus

    When Kaitlyn came to, the first thing she saw was the metal panels in the ceiling. As her senses came back, she felt that she was lying on a wooden floor. Groaning, she propped herself up on her elbows. After a moment, she jolted upright, remembering what happened. She was slightly relieved when she remembered the others' escape, but was still a bit confused.  
  
_I'm...alive?_  she thought, rubbing her collarbone where the shot landed.  _Sweet storm sharks, that hurt._  Why wouldn't Deacon have just killed her? Looking up, she saw the metal bars of her prison cell.  _Great,_  she thought. She turned only to see a skeleton in her cell.  
  
    "Buddy, after what I've just been through, it's going to take a lot more than that to scare me," she laughed.  
  
    "Well, good mornin' to you, too, sunshine," said a voice with a Marleybonean accent.  
  
    "Huh?" she peered between the bars.  
  
    "Nice to see a fresh face for a change, besides these two lumps." The voice belonged to a human boy with long black hair pulled back  
into a ponytail and narrow green eyes. He wore a red coat over a white shirt, green shorts, and a scarf loosely tied around his neck. He gestured to the cell next to him, which held a brown horse with harsh-looking narrow eyes and armor. He looked a bit irritated at being called a "lump". Or maybe that was how he always looked.  
  
    "Hello, there," chimed in another, from the cell next to her. A friendly looking, grey-feathered goose craned his head between the bars for a better look. "My name is Egg Shen."  
  
    "I am Subodai, of Mooshu," said the horse.  
  
    "And I'm Quinn. What's your name?" asked the boy.  
  
    "Kaitlyn," she responded, glad to see a couple friendly faces. "Uh, do you fellows have any idea where we're headed?"  
  
    "Ah... hate to break it to you, but...." he said sheepishly.  
  
    "Cadiz," interjected Subodai.  
  
    "Jeez, you don't have to be so blunt about it," Quinn responded.  
  
    "Is that true?" she asked. He nodded, and she paled. Cadiz was the heart of the Armada; everyone knew that even an army couldn't get in there by force. Going there was pretty much a death sentence.  
__  
I'm so stupid, she thought. _The only reason I'm in this mess is because I did what I wasn't supposed to._  
  
    "All the more reason to get working, then; we've been trying to come up with a way to escape for days now. We've got a few ideas, but we could use any help we can get. D'you mind?" asked Quinn. Her fear disappeared, once again replaced by grim determination.  
  
    "Not at all, what have you got?"

* * *

 

    "No."

  
    "Aw come on, it could work."  
  
_"No,"_  Shen repeated.  
  
    "We don't have a lot of options here...."  
  
    "Lyn, I seriously doubt any of us could actually manage to pick a fight with an Armada soldier from behind bars without a weapon," replied Quinn. They'd been trying to come up with something all day, but no such luck. There was a moment's pause.  
  
    "Hey, what are you guys in here for, anyway?" asked Kaitlyn.  
  
    "Hm? Oh, I just harassed a group of Clockworks for a while, until they managed to catch me," replied Quinn.  
  
    "I merely went to travel my own path in training, rather than sit and meditate within a temple," Shen stated.  
  
    "What about you?" asked Quinn. "You seem a bit young to be in here."  
  
    "Ha. Says you."  
  
    "Oy, I'm nineteen, okay?" he retorted. "Anyway, tell us. We're not going anywhere anytime soon."  
  
    "Fine. I was on the crew of a pirate ship. Long story short, we went to raid a really small Armada fort and I got caught. I'm fairly sure the rest who survived escaped, though."  
  
    "Oh, a pirate?" asked Quinn. "What were you, the chore-girl?" he joked, poking fun at her small stature. However, he paused at her expression. "Oh, wow. I was joking, I didn't think you actually were."  
  
    "Focus. We must find a way out," interrupted Subodai.  
  
    "Not happening, mate," replied Quinn. He flopped onto the floor, staring at the ceiling. "At this rate, we're going to need a miracle."  
  
    At that moment, they all heard cannon fire erupt outside. They all started slightly.  
  
    "What—" was all Shen managed to say before being interrupted by a loud crash and a startled scream from Kaitlyn. A cannonball crashed through the ship's hull into her cell, and smashed into the bars with enough force to severely dent a couple of them. She watched it fall to the floor and roll away.  
  
    "I-I think it's that miracle you asked for," she stuttered. "Thank God it didn't hit me..."  
  
    "Yeah..." he replied. "Wait, look at the dent it made!" He pointed to the bars. "Lyn, you're small; can you squeeze through?" asked Quinn, ecstatic.  
  
    "I'll try," she replied, crawling in headfirst. It took a lot of effort, and no small degree of squirming, but within a minute she was out. "Hey, I did it!" she exclaimed. "Not bad, huh?"  
  
    "Great! Pull that lever over there, and it'll open ours, too." He pointed to a lever fifteen feet away.  
  
    "I see it!" she exclaimed, sprinting for a lever mounted on the wall. She reached to grab it, and yanked it down. She heard the cell doors open and a few whoops from the others, indicating that they were free.  
  
    "Stop where you are, prisoner." She whirled around to see a couple of Armada soldiers, their weapons ready. They had come in without them noticing, and caught her in the act. "All of you, return to your cells immediately. You will comply or be terminated," it went. This wasn't good. Even if the others were to fight, none of them had weapons; these guys did.  
  
    "Not today, ahaha!" yelled a really loud voice. The Clockworks turned to investigate the source, but were immediately cut down by a large, white-bearded man wearing a red coat. He turned behind him and called, "It's one of these prisoners, monkey!"  
  
    "I'm coming, I'm coming," replied a monkey with a very thick Polarian accent, appearing in front of them. He wore a blue navy uniform, decorated with medals. He looked over them, especially Kaitlyn and Quinn. "Hmmm...are one of zem ze one zat strange fellow spoke of, you think?" he asked the bearded man.  
  
    "I don't know, the lad didn't go into detail much," he replied. "You two! You're young, are either of you orphans?" he asked. They were both taken by surprise. What did that have to do with escaping?  
  
    "Uh...I am."  
  
    "Me, too." The monkey gave a sigh of relief, though Kaitlyn couldn't imagine why.  
  
    "That'll have to do, then. Come on, all of ye!" the man beckoned. "My name's Boochbeard, by the way, and this is Gandry."  
  
    "Wait, we need our weapons!" exclaimed Shen. He quickly led them to a storage closet down the hall. "I remember they tossed them in here," he explained, opening the door. There were some Armada weapons among them, but after shifting them around, they found what they were looking for. Kaitlyn grabbed her rapier, Quinn took up a wooden shield and cutlass, Egg Shen grabbed an unusual-looking staff tipped with a short blade (she later learned it was called a  _naginata_ ), and Subodai took a very heavy-looking curved sword.  
  
    "I am in your debt," Subodai told her.  
  
    "Yeah, you're not half bad," added Quinn.  
  
    "Aw, it was nothing, really..." she replied, a little embarrassed by the attention.  
  
    "Together, we shall crush our enemies!" declared Subodai, looking very eager to smash in a couple Clockwork heads.  


* * *

  
    The door to the main deck swung open, revealing the small group as they stepped outside. Quinn and Shen couldn't help but pause for a moment; it had been at least a week since they'd been outside.

  
    "Ah, that wind feels marvelous," Quinn remarked.  
  
    "Are you nuts? This isn't the time for sightseein', we have to get to the ship!" replied Boochbeard, gesturing to their ship that had managed to board the one they were currently on. On the railing of the Armada ship was inscribed  _The Erebus._  The  _Erebus_  was littered here and there with broken parts, a result of the earlier fighting. "Let's go!" He started towards the gangplank when a blurred figure landed in front of them: another Clockwork, but this time different. This one was feminine, with a red tailed coat and mechanical wings. Three more landed beside her, drawing pistols and swords to prevent them passing.  
  
    "Battle Angels!" exclaimed Gandry. "Zey are elite warriors!"  
  
    "Boochbeard! Trying to take my prizes, you ruffian?" sounded a familiar tone, that Kaitlyn turned to see.  
  
    Deacon. He stood tall near the helm, his hollow eyes glaring at them menacingly. She recalled what happened the last time she saw him.  
  
    "Our jailor...!" she heard Subodai say; she could almost sense his rage behind her. "Clockwork fiend! You will pay for putting us in cages!" he roared.  
  
    "I think not; do  _not_  let them escape!" he commanded the angels blocking their path. In response, they all attacked.  
  
    One of them rapidly lunged at her, its thin sword glinting like a stinger. She barely managed to parry its blade. _So fast...!_  she thought. She remembered the basic principle behind her rapier: fast strikes and evasion. The angel lunged again, but she was ready this time. She ducked and delivered a devastating underhand stroke, staggering it backwards. It seemed on the verge of collapsing.  
  
    Feeling a bit cocky, she taunted, "I'm not going down without a fight, sucker! Hahaha!" Instantly, the angel recovered enough to strike back. Kaitlyn nearly managed to evade it, but it landed, cutting a deep, slanted gash through her eyebrow and just barely missing her right eye.  
  
    "OWW!" she cried, the blood from the wound blinding her eye.  
  
    "Do not let your guard down!" Shen warned her, warding off another angel. Subodai heard and turned to the angel that attacked her.  
  
    "You dare hurt my friend?" he growled. "You will pay!" The wounded angel was no match for Subodai's blade, and was cut down in a moment.  
  
    "Thanks a bunch..." she said, pressing on the wound with her palm. Subodai nodded in his usual gruff demeanor, acknowledging her thanks. She looked and noticed that the rest of the angels now lay destroyed by the others.  
  
    "Not so fast," interrupted Deacon, his tone haughty. "Do you  _really_  think you can defy the might of the Armada?" He slammed his cane down on the deck once, and the middle of the deck opened. A platform rose up from below, carrying a sight  _very_  familiar to Kaitlyn: Armada Dragoons. The same as the ones that ambushed the  _Midnight_ 's crew at the fort. She shuddered inwardly just recalling it.  
  
    "Wha— _What are zose?_ " said Gandry.  
  
    "Surrender. Don't make me destroy you," he threatened. They knew he wouldn't hesitate to. To their surprise, however, Boochbeard simply chuckled a bit.  
  
    "Oh, don't bother. LADS—" he called to his ship. "FIRE!" In response, several cannon shots sounded, and within seconds the Dragoons were taken out by a hail of cannon fire. Deacon took a step back.  
  
    "Impressive," he admitted. "You may have won this time, but mark my words: All of you will regret making an enemy of the Armada. Enjoy your freedom, while it lasts." Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he flipped out a pistol and shot some of the barrels on deck. The powder inside exploded, narrowly missing them. However, it served his purpose; when they looked up again, Deacon was gone.  
  
    "What are we waiting for? This ship's had it, let's go!" yelled Quinn. With no more obstacles in the way, they rushed across the gangplank and let go of the Erebus. They watched it sink, disappearing in the clouds below. One of the crew members took the helm and set their course for Skull Island. The wind filled their sails, and the ship headed off.  


* * *

  
    Kaitlyn stood near the railing with them, pressing the wound above her eye. She took away her hand for a moment and saw that her palm was covered in blood.

    "That looks like it's going to leave a pretty nasty scar," commented Quinn, holding a cut down his arm. She wasn't the only one injured; they all had injuries, even though they were only few and minor ones. "Those angels were tough, but you're lucky it didn't hit your eye."

    "Yeah, I guess there's that," she replied, pressing on it again. Boochbeard strolled up to them, holding a couple rolls of bandages, and handed them to the group.

    "Here, use these. Especially you," he said, pointing out Kaitlyn's eye. They took the bandages gratefully, and were able to patch themselves up within a few minutes.  
  
    "We cannot thank you two enough," said Shen.

    "Yeah, who knows what would have happened to us if you hadn't come when you did," said Quinn. Boochbeard waved it off.

    "Oh, it was no problem," he replied. "We're just takin' ye to Skull Island; Captain Avery, an old friend of mine, can help ye get settled."

    "I-I'm sorry, but I cannot settle in Skull Island," replied Shen. "I must go back home to Mooshu."

    "Oh, yes you can. You have to," he argued. "The Armada's branded you four as criminals. Where else can ye go but Skull Island?" Shen thought about that for a moment, and decided to back down. He didn't seem too happy about it, though. Boochbeard walked off to take the helm of the ship, leaving them alone.

    "I'll stick with ya, Egg. I might not have much left for me in Marleybone, but I'm not too keen on never seein' it again," offered Quinn. Shen accepted his offer gratefully.

    "Well, I've lived in Skull Island my whole life, so I'm fine," commented Kaitlyn. "But there is a certain pirate crew I plan to look for."

    "What about you, Subodai? You're from Mooshu too," asked Quinn.

    "I...cannot return yet," he said. Kaitlyn almost thought she heard a note of bitterness in his comment.

    "Really? Why's that?" asked Quinn. Subodai only crossed his arms and gave him a hard look, clearly telling him that he was not willing to share such information.

    "Hey, since we're all criminals, I wager we could start our own pirate crew!" chimed in Kaitlyn.

    "Pfft, yeah. A little cabin girl being a terror of the skyway, that I would like to see!" Quinn snorted, holding back laughter.

    "Hey!" she exclaimed. "Well, then, maybe I  _won't_  be a cabin girl anymore!" she huffed indignantly.

    "Oh, come on, the only thing intimidating about you would be that scar that you're gonna get," he goaded her.

    "You'll see! I'll make my own pirate crew, and become a GREAT pirate!" she challenged.

    "Then do it," he smiled. "I'm not stopping you, but who would have you as a captain?"

    "I will."

    "Yeah—wait, wha...?" She stared at Subodai, completely taken by surprise. Quinn, too, looked a bit stunned.

    "You fight well, pirate. So I will fight with you," he stated simply, shooting a brief but challenging look at Quinn.

    "Really?" she asked, to which he responded with a nod. "Awesome! You won't regret it, I'll make sure of it!" she said gratefully. Watching from across the ship, Gandry stood near Boochbeard at the helm. He warily kept an eye on the four enthusiastic rescuees.

    "Do you really think one of zem could be ze one zat Maestro fellow mentioned? None of zem look like zey could fight ze Armada..." he whispered, careful not to be overheard.

    "They'll do, Monkey," Boochbeard reassured him. "We'll just have to see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worldbuilding/Headcanons time!  
> -Remember the BOXES event in Zafaria in Wizard101? If you don't, it'll help you understand who the Maestro is. :)  
> -On the lethality of sparkthrowing guns: hit an arm or leg, it hurts like hell. Hit a vital, you'll most likely pass out. Hit the head, heart, or possibly neck, and it could kill the person. That's why she didn't die; it only landed on her collarbone.


	5. Dealings With Avery

"So, on the run from the Armada, are you?" Avery looked up from a letter at the two of them. "Same as your friends from last night, I presume?"

"Yeah," replied Kaitlyn. "Boochbeard said you would help us." They'd been dropped off at the docks the night before, but Quinn and Egg had parted ways and gone straight to Avery's afterward; Kaitlyn and Subodai settled on staying a night and recovering a bit at the Kraken Skulls. They all knew it wouldn't be the last time that their paths crossed again. Having good night's rest and something to eat worked wonders on them recovering from the day before, but Kaitlyn still had to wear a bandage around her forehead for her eye.

"I run a pirate haven, not a charity. If you want my help, you will have to work for it," Avery stated. "Lucky for you, I have a matter that you can help me with." They were interrupted by another one of many cannon shots. The building shuddered, and dust rained down from the ceiling. A few papers started sliding off of the desk from the shock, but Avery caught them without a glance and set them back, still eyeing them.

"What is it?" Subodai asked.

"Well, one of my more...ah, _willful_ crewmen, Fin, stole a Jade Amulet from me. He fled to Skull Mountain and angered the Troggy tribe there while he was at it—I want you two to get it back. Simple enough?"

"Sure," replied Kaitlyn. "But how are you going to help us after we do the job?" She had had a couple things in mind to ask about.

"I'm glad you asked, Miss...?"

"Everhart."

"–Miss Everhart. If you two are to be pirates, you'll need a ship. Do this right, and I will give you one. You have my word of honor. Do we have an accord?" he offered. She and Subodai exchanged a surprised look. A ship for a reward? They couldn't believe their luck; it seemed too good to be true.

"Hold on a second. I want to ask something first," she interjected. "Do you happen to know anything about where Nathan Gale and his crew are?" Avery gave her a mildly confused look. It was a long shot, but she had to check. Avery stroked his short beard for a moment, racking through his memory.

"...No, I haven't heard anything about him for a while. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you until after you've done the job. Why do you ask?"

"I got separated from them a few days ago," she began, and she went on to explain the whole story. Avery's expression looked a little bit more grimly amused after she finished.

"I see. Well, you tell me that they were escaping when you passed out," he pointed out. "I'm sure they're alive and well. Though I am a bit surprised to hear you were part of his crew." He cocked up one eyebrow.

" _Were_ ," she emphasized. "Honestly, I just want to make sure they're fine," she shrugged.

"Either way, this deal isn't going to agree on itself. Do we have an agreement or not?" Avery asked, reverting back to the original topic of discussion. He held out a hand as if to shake on it. Kaitlyn hesitated a moment, turning to Subodai.

"You've been pretty quiet so far. What do you think?" she asked.

"Hesitate, and you get nothing. We accept," he stated.

"Alright," she agreed, unable to suppress a smile. "Then it's a deal."  
  


* * *

 

"Whoa," exclaimed Kaitlyn; she never could get used to the idea of a rickety, swaying rope bridge through the sky, no matter how many years she had spent in it. The thing looked like it could break anytime it felt like it. In fact, it seemed to be _threatening_ to do so. Nevertheless, they made it across fine, and found the camp that Rigby told them about parked right at the end of the bridge. A few of the inhabitants eyed the newcomers curiously, but most ignored them after noting that they weren't a threat. The two of them walked up to a bandanna-ed she-fox that was busy doing maintenance on her Thunderbuss.

"'Scuse me?" Kaitlyn asked, and she looked up from her work. "Do you know where we can find a Bonnie Anne?"

"Yer talkin' to her," she replied, snapping some of the unfamiliar-looking parts of the rifle back into place. "Who're you, then?"

"Avery sent us; said we had to chase after Fin," she explained.

"Avery sent ye? Good," she heaved a sigh of relief. "Ye came just in time. That Fin's a wily one. He riled up the Troggies 'til they're mad as badgers!"

"Really?" Bonnie nodded.

"Those slimy little devils raided our powder stores last night; now they're flinging it back at the town!" she exclaimed. "We've tried fightin' back, but there's too many of them; if ye can soften them up a bit, I promise to help ye find Fin," she directed, pointing through the other entrance to the camp that led into the forest. Kaitlyn put a hand on her rapier's hilt. Subodai, quiet as ever, looked eager to battle again.

"Sounds fun," she replied excitedly, and the two of them plunged head-on into the jungle, leaving Bonnie to finish her rifle maintenance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So iiiiiit's  
> WORLDBUILDING HEADCANON TIME AGAIN (dun dun dunnn)  
> -Remember how in old times, guns and rifles were unbelievably inaccurate? Yep. Same issue in the Spiral. I mean come on, if they were as accurate as in present-day real life, musketeers would be unbelieveably overpowered. Not to mention that none of the characters would be able to stand up to the Armada the way they do.


	6. When Life Gives You Minnows

    The door to Avery's office swung open that next evening, admitting a whole troop of pirates that were still damp and covered in dirt and leaves from their adventure in Skull Mountain. Avery was surprised that Bonnie Anne came in along with Kaitlyn, Subodai, and Fin, and he winced at seeing how much mud all of them were tracking in on his carpets.

    Fin had been knocked out cold at the end of the struggle over the Amulet, and they had had no choice but to drag him out at the time. Thankfully, he woke up on the way back down the trail, making their job a whole lot easier without having to drag him as quietly as possible through the ferns and vines. Not that he was any less quiet when he was awake; they were lucky every hostile Troggy on the mountain didn't hear them.

    Avery sighed. “Please, _please_ tell me you two have my Amulet.” In response, Subodai dug into his pocket and pulled out a polished, carved piece of jade, strung on a chain of copper.

    “Right here,” he replied, tossing it to him. Avery caught it with one hand, examined it briefly, then he huffed a laugh.

    “What, you're not even going to _try_ and swindle me with a fake?” he jabbed. Kaitlyn opened her mouth to argue, closed it again, fidgeted a little bit, and her face fell a little bit in embarrassment. She didn't even _think_ of that. Nevertheless, he stuffed it into a desk drawer, slammed it closed, and locked it, turning back to them. “Also, an associate of mine came back from the mountain camp earlier and told me you two helped stop the Troggies bombarding the town.”

    “It's true,” interjected Bonnie, crossing her arms. “They gave us just enough to finally push them back.” She'd been nice enough to help them find and even subdue Fin. She and Kaitlyn had actually even become quite good friends over the course of the adventure.

    “Well done, then!” Avery clapped and rubbed his hands together. “You've done more than enough on your part, it's time I do mine.” Grabbing a freshly inked quill, he began writing a rapid note, occasionally repeating some of the phrases he was writing to himself. “Dan... _that_ ship... earned it... signed, and sealed!” he cried, signing it off with a flourish of his hand. He folded the letter and waxed it with his seal, handing it to her.

    “Take that to Dockmaster Dan, and he'll give you a ship, as promised!” he told her. Kaitlyn noticed that upon hearing that, Bonnie instantly gave Avery a stunned look. She brushed it off; anybody would be surprised upon hearing that.

    “Great, thanks!” she replied, eagerly taking the writ from him. Even Subodai seemed a bit excited at the prospect of getting a new ship. “Thanks again for the help, Bonnie!” she called over her shoulder as the two of them left, leaving the now quiet room. Bonnie Anne turned back to Avery with a now suspicious look, knowing full well what he was up to; after all, she'd been a trusted associate of his for years.

    “...You promised them _what?_ ”

* * *

    “Ooh, I’m so excited!” exclaimed Kaitlyn as they headed down to the docks, the sky slowly fading as evening gave way to night. “I wonder what kind of ship it’s going to be. Maybe a skiff! What do you think?” Subodai only shrugged.

    “It doesn’t matter to me. A ship is a ship.” They arrived at the center of the main docks, where most of the shipwrights were.

    “Dockmaster Dan?” she asked a well-known, portly man there.

    “That’s me,” he responded, turning around and then looking down to see who called him. “Oh. What’cha want, kid? I’m busy.” She somewhat resentfully pulled the writ out of her pocket and handed it to him, and his expression changed.

    “It’s a writ. From Avery.” Dan took the paper and pulled out an old pair of reading spectacles. After a few minutes, he scoffed once, folded it, placed it in his pocket, and looked back up at them.

    “So he sent ye to claim a boat?”

    “Yup!”

    “All right, you two, over here.” Dan stood up and walked a ways down the dock, the two of them trailing behind him. He stopped at a small shape covered in tarp, floating in the docks. “Well, _congratulations_. This _,_ ” he said sarcastically, yanking off the tarp, “Is your _'mighty'_ new ship.”

    As if anyone would call it a ship, much less mighty; it was just a raft made up of barrels and boards lashed together. It sported a decent sail, but it didn't even have a wheel, just a whipstaff to turn the rudder. Its name was painted on the side: The _S.S. Minnow_. They could hear a couple of the shipwrights down the dock laughing their butts off, further humiliating them, and Kaitlyn' face grew hot. “I'm actually glad Avery's givin' this thing away; it's been takin' up space in my dock for months now, and he don't ever even _use_ the darn thing...” Dan went on, but she wasn't really listening anymore. All she could think of was how they'd fallen for Avery's trick, hook, line, and sinker. Subodai looked absolutely livid at the thought, and Kaitlyn's mouth just hung open in shock, like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

    “But... Avery... he promised us a ship!” she stammered.

    “Whoa, kiddo,” Dan raised his hands defensively. “I know she ain't pretty, but she’s still a ship and she'll definitely fly,” he lectured. Kaitlyn didn't say anything to this; she realized he was right. Without warning, Subodai turned to leave.

    “Hey, where are you going? Wait for me!” she called after him, jogging to catch up.

    “To demand what is ours!” he yelled back over his shoulder. She was stunned; she hadn't seen him lose his cool before. At that moment, Bonnie Anne came skidding down the steps after them, stopping at the sight of the little raft.

    “Oy, I should have _known_ Avery would do something like this,” she said, pressing a spot on her temples with her fingers as if she had a headache. Subodai didn't respond, instead briskly walking past her and leaving her and his captain standing on the docks.

    “Eeeyeah. He seems pretty mad about it,” she explained apologetically. “I should probably go catch up to him or something...” she muttered before scampering off after him, leaving Bonnie alone. She watched them disappear over the top steps, and was left with her thoughts. She liked the two of them; they were great company on the trip up the mountain. She also had a feeling in her gut, leading her to make a decision that she'd been thinking about since then. At that moment, she made her choice, and headed off to take care of a few things first.

* * *

     An hour later, the double doors to Avery's office swung open for a third time and Subodai and Kaitlyn both came out, tired and worn out from the day's events. The cool nighttime air felt refreshing, and the stars lit up the night like a thousand small lanterns.

     “So how did it go?” asked Bonnie Anne, surprising them. She was leaning against the outside wall of Avery’s office with her Sparquebus next to her and a satchel at her feet.

     “Oh, hey. He didn’t give us a better ship, but he gave us a job, so it was all right, I guess,” Kaitlyn replied.

     “That’s good,” Bonnie agreed. The nocturnal breeze picked up a lightly before dying down again.

     “Man, I dunno about you guys, but I’m ready to hit the hay. It’s late,” she commented after letting out a good yawn, blinking away the water in her eyes. She looked over to Subodai and clearly saw that he was pretty exhausted too, but he made no comment on himself being tired. In fact, it might have been her imagination, but several times going up and down the mountain she had noticed that he had never once admitted if he was tired or injured. Or scared. But again, it may have been a bit of her imagination; she’d only known the guy a couple days, after all.

     “You know, the Kraken Skulls has beds for rent,” Bonnie suggested helpfully.

     “That sounds good. Avery said we had to go see some lady named Morgan Lafitte, but she’s not going to be here until tomorrow afternoon.”

     “Mind if I come with you?” Bonnie asked.

     “You mean you want in on the job too?” Kaitlyn queried back, not fully understanding.

     “No-- Well, yes, but, I meant... do you have room for another on your crew, Captain?” she asked plainly, gesturing to the knapsack at her feet that she had packed. Kaitlyn looked at her for a second before a smile grew on her face.

     “Are you kidding me? Yes!” she said, ecstatic. Bonnie looked happy and a little relieved with her answer.

     “Great!” she agreed, picking up her Sparquebus and satchel and walking beside them to the Kraken Skulls. “You know, I actually know Lafitte; I could introduce you two to her tomorrow…” she told them, the chatter of their conversation fading into the starlit sky as they left Avery’s Court.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ship Terminology: A whipstaff is basically a lever sticking out of the floor instead of a wheel. It turns the rudder just like a wheel does.


	7. Bad Company

    The following morning, the three of them found themselves sitting at the bar in the Kraken Skulls, surrounded by customers seeking a bite to eat, gamblers dealing out and buccaneers spinning stories at the lively makeshift tables, and the occasional drunkard suffering a hangover from the previous night’s activities. Kaitlyn heard the front door swing open for the hundredth time that morning, and heard a familiar voice call them out over the din.

    “Hey, it’s you two!” Quinn noted with delight. Kaitlyn and Subodai turned to see him and Shen strolling up to them. They bumped into diners and pardoned their intrusion every step of the way, a telltale sign that they were still settling into everyday life on the island. Their struggle through the crowd earned them some annoyed glances.

    “Oh, hey! Come sit with us!” she invited them, gesturing to a couple of empty bar stools next to them. By this time, Bonnie Anne had looked up from her breakfast as well.

    “Friends of yours?” she asked, watching them with amusement. Kaitlyn nodded, her mouth too full to respond.

    “Hey guys, I want you to meet Bonnie Anne,” she said, after swallowing her mouthful of breakfast. “Bonnie, meet Quinn and Egg Shen.” The three of them eagerly exchanged first greetings. Quinn and Shen sat down and asked the barkeep for some breakfast as well, paying with a few silver coins.

    "So did you two get a job from Avery as well?" Quinn asked, popping open a bottle of yum.

    "Yeah,” Kaitlyn answered. “He asked us to get back an amulet that was stolen from him. What about you guys?"

    "Well, he noticed that his Mooshu Falcon statue was stolen when we were talking to him in his office. We ended up getting that back as our end of the bargain. He gave us some good coin for it too. I hope he paid you guys enough as well."

    "He didn't pay us in gold," Subodai interjected.

    "Oh, really? What, then?" asked Shen.

    "He gave them a ship. A small one. I joined them after," Bonnie explained.

    "Whoa! Really? What kind?" Quinn asked.

    "It's...uh..." Kaitlyn stammered, less than eager to share the details.

    "You're hesitating," Shen commented with a smirk.

    "It's...a ship...that defies description," she responded, struggling to find the right words.

    "Come ooooon, just tell us already!" Quinn groaned.

    "I'm not telling you squat, you--"

    "It's a raft," Subodai interrupted. Quinn erupted into peals of laughter while Shen unsuccessfully tried to hide his snickering in his tankard. Kaitlyn gave Subodai a rueful look that said, Really? He only shrugged in response. "They would have found out anyway," he replied. 

* * *

 

They continued their lively conversation for a while over breakfast, and eventually parted ways again with temporary farewells; they all knew their paths were sure to cross again. The three of them gathered their things and left the Kraken Skulls, making their way back to Avery's Court in hopes of finding Morgan Lafitte there that morning. The fresh morning air was humid and still rather chilly from the previous night, and merchants in the area were beginning to open up shop for the day. The first golden-orange beams of sunlight were pouring into the market and the courtyard, casting deep blue shadows between the buildings. It was a lovely morning, to say the least.

    Bonnie led them to a short building decorated with a rich purple and orange banner, strolling right in through the front door. They followed her in, and Kaitlyn saw that the inside was just as richly decorated as the outside, if not more so; there were plush couches, beautiful purple curtains, decorated weapons hanging on the wall, and several shelves of books. She spotted a female raccoon drop down from a ladder to the attic.

    "Ah, Bonnie Anne! It's good to see you again!" she exclaimed, delighted. She had a distinct accent...somewhere between Valencian and Polarian, Kaitlyn couldn't quite tell.

    "Mornin' to ye, Morgan! It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Bonnie greeted back to her.

    "Indeed. Avery's been sending you out to Skull Mountain lately? I haven't seen you around ze island zis week."

    "Yeah, lots of times. Anyway, he picked out these two for that expedition for Gunn’s treasure. I'll be joining them as well," she explained.

    "Ah, good!" Lafitte turned to them and examined them a little more closely. "Hmmm. Quite ze bold choice! I have no doubt you two will do nicely," she reassured them with a confident smile. "My comrade-in-arms, a mouse named Sarah Steele, will be leading ze expedition. She and ze others will be meeting in the Kraken Skulls' cellar early zis afternoon. You three are to act as hired hands, so I trust you all have fighting experience. Understood?" They all nodded successively. "Good. Now," Lafitte added, turning specifically to Kaitlyn. "I noticed zat you wield a rapier, yes?"

    "Er...yes," Kaitlyn replied, unsure what she was getting at.

    “Here we go,” Bonnie Anne groaned wearily.

    "Wonderful!" she exclaimed, unsheathing one of her own twin blades. She expertly swung it once before holding it upright in front of her face, the hilt just below her chin.

    "Aw, Morgan, we really don't have much time for--"

    "Nonsense, there is always time for a friendly spar!" She exclaimed, to which Bonnie rolled her eyes amusedly. "Draw your weapon! I wish to see your new capitan fight. En garde!" Lafitte thrust her cutlass forward, and Kaitlyn barely managed to dodge it. Bonnie Anne dragged Subodai to the side of the room where they would be out of the way and could watch.

    "She really loves seeing potential," she quietly explained to him as they watched. Lafitte was easily batting away Kaitlyn's strikes, but she was barely able to parry any of Lafitte's. "She duels every single fencer she meets." Within 10 seconds, Morgan had locked their weapons and instantly disarmed their captain, the tip of her cutlass hovering under Kaitlyn’s chin. After a moment, she lowered her weapon, her eyes glittering mischievously.

    "You're incredible!" Kaitlyn remarked, awestruck. Morgan smirked, obviously pleased by the compliment.

    "I am ze best fencing master in Skull Island, after all," she laughed. "But no." She struck the end of her blade into the wooden floor, her hand still resting on the hilt. Her entire demeanor suddenly changed to a much more serious one. "You have good speed, but your form is sloppy and your technique has too much slashing movement. At zis rate, your rapier will break. But no matter," she said, pulling her blade back out. "Everyone must start at ze bottom! I offer lessons for five gold coins, if you are interested."

    “Uh…” She patted herself down, briefly forgetting that she didn't have any pockets. She made a mental note to remedy that later. “Well, I’m kind of short on money right now. Can I come back for that lesson later?” Kaitlyn requested sheepishly.

    “Of course.”

    “Alright, Morgan, ye’ve had your fun, but we really need to be going. We have to do a few things before we go, remember?” Bonnie Anne interjected. Lafitte dramatically threw her head back and let out an aggrieved sigh, covering her forehead with the back of her wrist for exaggerated effect. Kaitlyn had to bite her lip to keep from snickering; Lafitte by now had definitely struck her as rather…extravagant.

    “Very well, off with you three!” she replied impatiently, shooing them towards the door as though they were small children. They were pushed back outside, where Lafitte bade them farewell with a smile and wave.  “Arrivederci, and good luck!”

* * *

 

“So…we just wait for who knows how long, doing absolutely nothing?” Kaitlyn asked Bonnie for probably the fifth time. They had finished scavenging a few necessities, such as preserved foodstuffs, and were back in the Kraken Skulls to wait for the rest in the cellar.

    “Enough, already. It’s better to be early than late,” Subodai lectured his captain, hoisting up the cellar door with a yank on its heavy iron ring.

    “I know, I know. I guess--” she started, but cut off. Conversation drifted up from within, surprising them. “I thought she said they weren’t supposed to be here until later?”

    “They must’ve come early?” Bonnie suggested. The talking elevated to arguing; Kaitlyn thought she heard a couple of swears, even. Her heart sank with dread. “Well, that doesn't sound good,” Bonnie remarked. Without another word, she nimbly hopped down the ladder, and Kaitlyn and then Subodai followed suit.

    Kaitlyn beheld the entire spectacle as soon as she landed; the room was filled with four or five rats and a she-mouse. None of them noticed their arrival, as most of them were gathered around the table and facing the other way. Those that were facing them were too engrossed in the argument between the she-mouse and one of the rats, who was stockier and shaggier than the rest of them combined. His coat was torn and unraveling at the bottom and he even had an eyepatch and a pegleg; the walking, talking epitome of the pirate stereotype. The mouse, in contrast, kept herself fairly neat and well-groomed compared to the rest. She was wearing a purple tiered cloth wrapped around her head, still showing her ears and much of her tangerine-colored hair, and a white shoulderless blouse with a matching purple vest. Their faces were quite close even though they were across the table from each other, like they were trying to see who would back down and show weakness first.

    “So, I’m naught to be but a lowly pilot then?” the stockier rat bellowed.

    “Mind your tone with me, Ratbeard! I don’t care how much you don’t like it; I have the Will, so I’m the leader!” she parried irritably.

    “Pssh! So says ye, girlie! How do we even know ye have it?”

    “What are you, dumb? Of course I have it, it’s right here!” She took her satchel on the table and yanked out a large, weather-worn glass bottle, stuffed with a fat wad of rolled up paper.

    “Guys, what’s this all about?” Kaitlyn interrupted. They both started abruptly, turning and seeing the three of them for the first time.

    “Who in blazes--” the lady started.

    “NOW, BOYS!” One of the other rats slipped behind her and grabbed her arm, wrenching it behind her back and pinning her to the table in front of her. She dropped the bottle and it landed at her feet, which the rest made a jump for but missed, as she had reacted swiftly and punted it across the room where it skittered to the far wall.

    “Let go of me! This is mutiny!” she screamed furiously, struggling to free herself. There was no way she could reach her rapier with her free hand, as it was on her opposite side. She heard the high tones of scraping metal, and she knew he had pulled out a dagger. Bracing herself, she prepared for the blade to pierce her…but instead, she heard him suddenly grunt in pain and felt his grip torn off as he fell to the side.

    Kaitlyn, Bonnie Anne, and Subodai had taken action; Kaitlyn had run up and tackled him without warning, so hard that he fell to the floor, whilst the others busied themselves in fending off the others.

    “The Will! Grab the Will!” the mouse warned them. However, it was too late; Ratbeard reached it first and picked it up.

    “I’ve got it! Finish ‘em off, boys, and meet me back at the hideout!” he commanded to them, turning on his peg leg and sprinting for the exit. Subodai attempted to block off his escape with his sword, but to no avail; it was dodged with ease. Bonnie turned too late to take aim, as his tail was already disappearing through the cellar hatch.

    “Come back and face us, coward!” Subodai thundered.

    “Captain! He's getting away!” cried Bonnie. She turned to block an incoming blow with her Thunderbuss. It was all over within a minute; Bonnie’s shots and Subodai’s blade quickly rendered them incapable or unwilling to fight. The mouse their captain had tackled was also taken care of with their new friend’s help.

    “That was close. You okay?” Kaitlyn asked.

    “Yes, thanks to you three. Captain, was it?”

    “Yeah. Kaitlyn Everhart.”

    “Name’s Sarah Steele,” the mouse said, rolling her shoulder. “I owe you my life, and I'll gladly join your crew to repay the debt. Now, let’s go catch that thieving rat!”

* * *

 

“This is not at all what I had in mind….”

    They were all standing at the docks, and Sarah was taking in the sorry-looking sight that was the S. S. Minnow. It looked better than it did the day before, though; the shipwrights at the dock fixed it up as best they could to further convince them to take it with them, since it wasn't useful to any of them and they very much wanted to be rid of it. It was like the dockmaster told them: she wasn't pretty, but she was skyworthy. The other three were already on it, preparing the rigging to head out to Blood Shoals, where Ratbeard’s hideout was. Blind Mew, the old blind beggar, had stopped them on their way to the docks and dispensed them this invaluable information.

    “Do you want to catch Ratbeard or not?” Bonnie asked rhetorically.

    “Of course I do!” Sarah replied indignantly.

“Then hop on!” Kaitlyn told her, extending a hand to help her up. With a look of determination, Sarah took it and leapt onto the boat, and they quickly cast off for Blood Shoals.


	8. Raid on the Presidio

    It was an average day within the bright sandstone walls of the Presidio. A Monquistan guard was patrolling the top of the battlements, stopping at the tower that merged with the raised ground of the island. The dense forest and that slightly spilled over onto the tower unnerved him, since he couldn't see into it at all, and the choking vines seemed to erode even the great walls of the fort. It was almost as if these savage jungles of Skull Island had a mind of their own, and they weren't friendly to proper fellows such as himself. He turned away to patrol the rest of the wall when he suddenly felt himself being violently pulled backwards into the underbrush. The last thing he remembered was struggling against whoever—or whatever—had grabbed him, and heard a painful crack on the side of his head before passing out.

    “Was that really necessary?” Bonnie Anne whispered.

    “He was looking right at me! I thought he saw us!” Sarah whispered fiercely.

    “All right you lot, listen up,” the Frogfather’s associate said, breaking up the argument. “All’s quiet now, but try not to run into any guards. If you do, silence them quickly; if they raise the alarm, you’re doomed. Got it?” They nodded. “Okay. I'll head on back, you’re on your own from here. Best o’ luck to ye,” he said before slipping back to the hidden dock. They all carefully climbed out onto the wall, taking extra care not to make any noise from the rustling of the leaves they were hiding in.

    “Look down there; I reckon that there is the Storehouse the spices are in. We can climb down with the rope into the courtyard.” Silently, they tied off the rope and climbed down, crossing the miniature courtyard without incident. So far so good; they headed into the storeroom where the spices were held, only to find they (among several other valuable items) were locked up behind bars at the far end of the room. Sarah tested the door, kicking it in frustration.

    “Locked—I knew this felt too easy,” she muttered.

    “Now what are we supposed to do? It's not like we can just break the door down,” said Kaitlyn. The doors slammed open right then, letting several guards enter and see the lot of them.

    “Aha! Pirates! I knew I saw something!” One said. “Attack them!”

    “The lil’ blighters know we’re here!” Bonnie said. One of them brought down their tall spear, and she held her Sparquebus in front of her, blocking it with a wooden thud. Kicking him back, she quickly took aim and brought him down with it. Seeing they were outnumbered four to two, they turned to raise the alarm, but were blocked off by the others and quickly beaten.

    “Well, that was lovely. We gotta find that key before more of them find us,” she said.

    “We need to find a key—the barracks seem like a good place as any to start,” Sarah suggested.

    “Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s go!” said Kaitlyn.

* * *

 

    The door to the barracks swung open, letting in a blinding stream of light followed by the crew. Their eyes still adjusting to the gloom, they saw themselves surrounded by the shocked expressions of about six Monquistan troops. However, since they weren’t expecting any sort of hostile company, they were mostly unarmed, so they were easily taken care of.

    “You there! Help me out!” They all started at the new voice that spoke desperately in the poorly lit room, turning to find the source. It had a heavy Valencian accent, and they saw it belonged to a mustachioed blonde Guinea pig, decked with armor and a good amount of gray facial hair. His desperate expression flickered to one of confusion upon seeing them. The sight of him rang a bell in the back of her memory. “ _Capitan_? Wait a minute…” he said, squinting to see better in the half-light.

    “Gaspard!” she said, incredulous. His jaw dropped.

    “Kaitlyn?” he exclaimed. “What in the Spiral are you doing here?”

    “Wha…what are you doing here?”

    “I asked first!”

    “I asked second!”

    “Now’s really not the time, you two! We need that key!” Sarah reminded them.

    “A key, you say?” Gaspard asked. He stroked his goatee, furrowing his brow in thought. “The commander of this fort is just upstairs. If I remember correctly, he should have a ring with all the keys to the fort, including the one to this cell. I know a secret way out of the fort: Free me and I'll help you. Go, quickly!”

* * *

 

    The commander’s expression was full of alarm as the heavy oak doors burst open, as were his subordinates’.

    “What? Who are you? How did you get past the guards downstairs?” he demanded. Kaitlyn took a step forward

    “We’re pirates. Mind giving up those keys of yours?” she asked casually, as if she asked him what the time was.

    “We can do this the easy way,” Sarah said, unsheathing her blade and dagger, “or the hard way.” Unfortunately, the fort commander wasn't intimidated at all by this; the threat only seemed to fill him with offended rage.

    ”So. A hideous crew of giants think they can rob the Crown of Monquista!” He picked up his halberd, which was over twice his height.

    “Guessing that’s a no, then,” Kaitlyn said, holding her rapier in front of her.

    “Not likely! Guards!” the Monkey commander called, rallying his men. He pointed his weapon at them and immediately charged straight at them, half a dozen yelling guards following suit. The crew scattered, forced to avoid the barrage of spears, but still countered with considerable force; Subodai defeated several with ease, Bonnie held the entrance, taking out targets across the room, and Kaitlyn and Sarah, both fencers, slashed and lunged with coordination surprising even to themselves. Within a minute, the battle was won, and the tiny Monquistan commander was on one knee, holding himself up with his halberd.

    ”You want these keys so badly?” he spat at them. “I'll be hanged before I let you take them from me!” In response, Subodai picked up the tiny protesting commander, plucked the brass ring full of keys from his belt, and hung him by the back of his shirt on a nearby weapon rack on the wall.

    “Hey! Return those keys! Put me down at once, you fiendish giant! I swear you pirates will regret this, the Monquistan Crown will have your heads! I’ll...” he went on and on, but he couldn't do much, hanging from the back of his shirt like he was.

    “Humph. Empty threats,” Subodai merely said, handing the keys to his captain.

    “I see what you did there,” Kaitlyn snickered at the unusual sight, trying not to burst out laughing as they followed him back downstairs, back to where Gaspard waited.

The key turned in the lock with a squeak, and the lock clicked open. As soon as Gaspard stepped out, Kaitlyn tackled him in a bear hug, saying with it what she couldn't with words. Even though she had loved being on the Red Midnight, she had still missed him, too. They broke off after a second, conscious of her crewmates’ stares.

    “Sorry to break up your tearful reunion, but we have to get to the Storehouse right away,” Sarah quipped sardonically.

    “Right. Let’s go!”

* * *

 

The lock clicked open in Gaspard’s hands, and the gate creaked open. Instead of grabbing the spices, though, he shoved the neat piles aside to reveal a considerably large grate underneath, most likely used to keep them dry.

“Here it is, as promised.”

“Finally. Let’s grab these and get out of here,” Sarah huffed.

    With that, they stuffed the spices into a cloth messenger bag, and jumped down into the dark tunnel. They landed in a shallow pool of what seemed to be ordinary rainwater. There wasn’t much else to note on it, but it was surprisingly large for a drainage tunnel.

    “Neat,” she whistled. Her voice slightly echoed off the damp, mossy cobblestone walls.

    “Keep quiet, or we might be heard,” Bonnie told her. So they headed through in near silence. They soon realized the tunnel was very short too; within five minutes, they saw the soft light emitting from the edges of the hatch at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel clearly wasn’t used very often; refusing to open at first, Gaspard had to kick it open, breaking the rotting wood in half. Light streamed into the opening, and they crawled out of the small tunnel one by one, blinking to adjust their eyes to the light.

    “Thank the Spiral, fresh air!” Sarah said.

    “Ah, it wasn't _that_ bad,” said Kaitlyn. “Anyway, let's get going before they find us.” She hopped onto the _Minnow_ and started to untie the sails.

    ”I don't have a ship, so may I ride with you on your….? Gaspard trailed off. Kaitlyn understood, though it did irk her a little bit. It wasn't that bad. Plus everyone had had the exact same reaction to first seeing it, just like she did, and it was starting to get annoying.

    “Yeah, of course. Ya don't need to ask.”

    “You might end up wishing you never did,” Sarah interjected. Gaspard paled a little.

    “You are joking, yes?”

    “Oh, enough already. We have spices to deliver,” Bonnie told her.

    “And a Rat to catch,” said Subodai.

    “And treasure to find!” Sarah added eagerly. Kaitlyn smiled.

    “Right. Let's go!”


	9. A Frog and a Fife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew returns to the Frogfather after finishing the job at the Presidio, and they have a surprise in store for them.

    A couple hours later, the tiny _Minnow_ , overladen with five pirates, lazily drifted into Jonah Town’s dock. It took some effort to tie off the raft to the dock, since it was built on a moving Sky Whale; as soon as they went down, Sarah and Gaspard jumped to the dock as fast as they could without falling into the clouds.

    “I'm not having this anymore. At some point, that ship is going to fall apart, with us on it!” Sarah argued.

    “She’s right, _Capitan_ ,” Gaspard agreed. “Something like this cannot have been made to carry five people.” Bonnie and Subodai each cleared the gap, landing safely on the docks.

    “We don’t even _have_ enough gold for a proper ship!” Kaitlyn countered, leaning against the mast. “Besides, it can't be _that_ ba–” she said before she was interrupted by the loud sound of wood snapping under her weight, and she and the now-broken mast fell over onto the deck with a crash. Startled, she stared wide-eyed at the broken mast, propping herself up with her elbow. Sarah gestured to it to reinforce her argument, as if to say, _See what I mean?_

    “...Okay, I see your point.”

    “Nice going. Now what are we supposed to do? It's not like we can fly,” Sarah commented.

    “I may be able to help.” All eyes went to Gaspard. “But I will need to speak to the Frogfather first.”

    “Why’s that?” asked Kaitlyn, now clambering down from the remains of the _Minnow_.

    “Well, the night Linda and most of her crew...died, you and I were the only survivors. But I can’t sail a ship alone, nobody can. So I asked the Frogfather if I could keep it in his dock here in Jonah town, in exchange for the favor he still owed her.” They all looked at him in surprise.

    “Really? Ye happen to have a ship, and you’re willing to give it to us?” said Bonnie, raising an eyebrow.

    “ _Sí_ _._ ” Gaspard didn't like the way Subodai was looking at him.

    “Why should we trust your word? We were once promised a ship. Instead, Avery tricked us.” Subodai gestured to the remains of the raft floating behind them. The _Minnow_ ’s planks creaked in the wind as if in agreement. There was an uncomfortable pause; Gaspard did seem much more trustworthy than Avery, but they couldn’t rule out that possibility.

    “That would explain why you are all interrogating me like this,” he responded flatly, a little annoyed. “Glad to see Avery is still the same old scoundrel as ever.”

    “Guys, I’m pretty sure it’ll be fine,” Kaitlyn said. “I’ve known Gaspard since I was little, remember?”

    Sarah shrugged. “Good enough for me.” She strolled towards the wooden stairs leading up to Jonah Town, nimbly bounding up the steps two at a time. The others took her example and followed suit, but Kaitlyn hesitated, staring at the raft. Funny, how everyone kept saying that it was a worthless piece of junk, yet it managed to sail much farther than just Blood Shoals, as Dockmaster Dan had predicted. It was still the very first ship she had commanded as a captain. It wasn’t really supposed to act as a ship in the first place, but then again, neither was she originally supposed to be a pirate captain.

    “Well? Are you coming or not?” Sarah’s call from the top of the steps broke her train of thought.

    “Yeah, I’m coming,” she called back, bounding up the stairs after them.

* * *

 

 

    The heavy wooden door to the Frogfather’s study creaked open. The Frogfather looked up from his work in annoyance at the noise, but his expression changed to a pleased one when he saw who it was.

    “Ah. Welcome back, young pirate,” he greeted them. “I assume you have what I asked for?”

    “Yep. Right here.” Kaitlyn held up a handful of pinkish-orange tubers, bound together in a neat bundle with twine. The Frogfather unsettled her somehow; she wasn't entirely sure why. She’d felt the same way the moment they first walked in the previous day. He might be a small, green frog sitting behind a desk, but… something about him just screamed to her that she ought to steer clear of the guy. She put the bundle on his desk and stepped back; He pulled it closer, seeming to be examining the spices.

    “Excellent,” he finally replied. Turning his full attention to them, Kaitlyn noticed a mildly surprised expression flicker across his face when he laid eyes on Gaspard.

    “I must say, I wasn’t expecting you to come back with one extra.” He turned to speak to Gaspard directly. “What brings you back here, old friend?”

    “Ah. Well, you see, I happened to be imprisoned in the Presidio. When you sent them to take the spices you wanted, they came and freed me as well,” he explained. The Frogfather nodded, satisfied with that explanation.

    “So, now that you’ve held up your end o’ the deal, it’s time to do some real business.” He put his hands together. It was difficult to gauge what he was thinking, and the dim light of the richly decorated study didn’t help. “You want me to tell you where Ratbeard is. That I cannot do.”

    “ _What?_ ” Sarah started to protest. “After all we–”

    “ _I gave my word to Ratbeard_ ,” he interrupted back, clearly annoyed, “that I would not betray him if anyone came looking for him. I cannot break my word. But what of the favor that I now owe you?” he asked, looking to his associate who stood next to his desk, a small frog dressed in neat colonial livery. He only wore a curious expression, as if he wished to know the answer to that question too. The Frogfather gave him a hard-eyed look, as if to repeat his unspoken message.

    “Wait, what? Oh! Right!” he exclaimed, hopping over to one of the nearby shelves. With a grunt of effort, he pulled out a large tome that they’d all seen before: The Book of Favors. Since the book was about half his size, he heaved it onto the nearby coffee table, a small avalanche of dust erupting from it as it slammed onto the surface. He opened it to a specific page, cleared his throat, and read aloud:

    “The Book of Favors tells us that any favor owed may be transferred by the holder of the favor to any other party whom the holder owes a favor. The transferred favor then takes the place of any favor that the holder owes to the party the transferred favor is transferred to.” There was a pause.

    “...You lost me,” Kaitlyn said. The Frogfather gave a long sigh.

    “There’s a rabbit in Flotsam by the name of One-Eyed Jack, who owes me a favor– I am holding his favor. I transfer the favor Jack owes me to you, erasing my favor to you: my debt to you is paid, but now Jack owes you a favor. Jack gives you the information you need, my word remains unbroken. Everybody wins. _Capisce?_ ”

    Kaitlyn nodded. She also took note never to deal with this guy if she could really help it; seeing how good he was with loopholes just now made her fully realize why.

    “You’ll find One-Eyed Jack in a tavern in Flotsam called The Black Spot,” the Frogfather said. “I would suggest you all get going.”

    “One more thing, before we go,” Gaspard interjected. “I came to ask if we could take back the ship I lent to you for safekeeping.”

    “Of course. I was beginning to wonder if you ever would,” he replied. “I assume your new friends are going to help you sail it? I know it’s not my business, but are you sure that’s wise?”

    “I see no one better fit to use Linda’s ship than her own daughter,” he pointed out. At this, a look of surprise showed. The Frogfather took a closer look at Kaitlyn, who was uncomfortable with the focused attention.

    “Interesting. That explains why you looked so familiar. The resemblance is uncanny,” he said. “I hope you realize that your mother was a fine pirate. We did business together in the past. Anyway,” he turned to Gaspard, “Your ship is still up at the Starboard Pier. Take it, with my blessing.”

    “ _Grazie_ ,” Gaspard replied, taking the cue to start leaving. “Follow me, I know where the pier is,” he told the others.

* * *

    

    Gaspard led them up back to Jonah Town and down a couple winding boardwalks before they got to the pier. The sky was just beginning to tinge itself orange with the setting sun.

    “There she is!” he exclaimed upon seeing the ship. “Ah, it’s been too long! She might not look as impressive as other ships, but she has certainly been good to us over many years.”

    “Are you kidding? Compared to the _Minnow_ , this is like a Royal Galleon!” Sarah exclaimed. Even Subodai looked impressed.

    The ship that they all beheld before them was a relatively small wooden skiff, commonly used among pirates but certainly sturdy enough to last many years with good care. The worn wood was painted grey and blue, with a large, familiar-looking emblem of a black and forest green falcon painted on the white sails. Kaitlyn saw the name painted on the bow that brought back old memories: _The Sky Fife_.

    “It looks exactly how I remember it,” Kaitlyn said in awe.

    Unfortunately, a decade of disuse had taken its toll on the _Fife_. When they boarded her, it was obvious that some of the ship’s parts desperately needed repair or replacement. From where they stood, they saw that on both the forward and aft ends of the ship were rooms that they could enter: The forward room was mostly used for supplies, but the rear was the galley where they all could generally meet up. On top of the galley was the ship’s wheel. One of the masts stood behind the wheel, while the other emerged from the middle of the main deck upon which they stood. In front of the main mast was a hatch to the deck below. There were also two steep sets of stairs each leading to the decks above the fore and aft rooms.

    “Come on, let’s go see the inside!” Sarah exclaimed, elbowing Subodai and scampering down to the lower decks as soon as she could open the hatch. Instead of following, Kaitlyn unlatched the door to the galley. Inside was a main split-level room: the part of the room she saw in front of her consisted of a long oak table, with the actual kitchen portion lining the starboard wall. Beyond that was the mast going through the deck, acting as a column in the middle of the room and separating it into two parts. She noticed the rigging for the wheel up above running along the ceiling and down along the mast, undoubtedly leading to the ship’s rudder.

    Beyond the mast was a small area, with a couple of beaten-up sofas surrounding an old coffee table. The window on the far wall gave her a perfect view from the back of the ship. Everything had a noticeable layer of dust on it; not a single soul had lived here in quite some time. It was a room where much merriment once took place, but stood silent for many years until now.

    It was also a bit smaller than she remembered.

    “It is a lot to take in, _no_?”

    Kaitlyn jumped, seeing Gaspard in the doorway behind her.

    “Good God, you scared me.”

    He chuckled. “Sorry, _Capitan_.”

    “You don’t have to keep calling me that, you know.”

    He shrugged. “It suits you, though.”

    “Psh. A chore girl like me? I doubt it.” Kaitlyn took off her sash and started using it to sweep some of the dust off the table, since she wasn’t sure if there were any rags stored in the room.

    “Eh, you will grow into it, eventually. Besides, if you really think that, then why would the others be your crewmates?”

    “...I dunno. I barely even know what I’m doing. I don’t know how being a captain works. Like, what if I really screw up? This whole gig is kinda starting to freak me out.”

    “Ay, look at me.” She did; his expression was completely serious. “You’ll be fine. If the Presidio was anything I can judge upon, you’re already a very good pirate. Besides, we’re all right here if you need help. That’s what crewmates are for, _no_?”

    Kaitlyn nodded slightly after a moment, smiling a little. “Thanks, Gaspard.”

    “You are very welcome,” he replied before the others came in. Bonnie Anne rummaged through one of the drawers in the galley until she found a piece of notepaper and a pencil stub.

    “Alright, so we’ve looked over the whole ship. It seems to be skyworthy, but there’s still a few things we need to get before we set sail,” she announced to the whole group, who was now gathered around the table in the main room. “Frayed and broken ropes…a stolen cannon…several broken boards...and we need to stock up on supplies as well before we set sail for Flotsam,” said Bonnie, writing out a list of what they needed. “Any idea where we’re going to get these?”

    “Well, the _Minnow_ isn’t skyworthy anymore. We can salvage it for the stuff we need,” Sarah suggested.

    “Brilliant! That’ll fix everything but the cannon, but that last part isn’t really crucial since there’s still one left,” Bonnie replied.

    “There’s one more thing,” Gaspard interjected. “The flag. It isn’t ours, it was Linda’s. It wouldn’t be right to fly it again.”

    They all murmured in agreement. Flying the flag of a now long-dead captain that barely any of them knew would be in pretty bad taste.

    “That means we have to make a new flag, right?” asked Sarah. “I think there’s a spare set of sails below deck we can use for that; the ones out there seem a bit torn up anyway.”

    “I’ve always wanted to make a flag,” Kaitlyn said, smiling eagerly.

    “All right, so that leaves bringing the _Minnow_ up here, re-rigging new sails, and getting some nails at the shop here in town.” Bonnie Anne thought for a moment, looking at the sun getting rather low in the sky. “Yeah, we should be able to at least do that before night falls, if we hurry.” Kaitlyn rubbed her hands together.

    “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!”


	10. The Black Spot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang is still chasing Ratbeard, and this time the trail leads them all over Flotsam. Also, One-Eyed Jack nearly gets decked.

The Black Spot was mostly quiet that morning; the only sounds came from the ambient chatter of the tavern’s regular customers and the occasional tankard or glass being laid on a table. Sunlight streamed into the window, the beams lighting up dust motes suspended in the air like a cloud of fireflies. The barkeep at the front, a white rabbit with an eyepatch wearing a brown apron, was cleaning out several tankards with an old rag.

The front door creaked open, admitting Kaitlyn, Subodai, and Bonnie Anne. Several customers at the tables glanced over at the new arrivals, making a brief ripple in the conversational chatter they could hear before things returned to normal. The group made their way through the maze of tables to the main bar. 

“Hey. Uh, ‘scuse me,” said Kaitlyn, trying to get the barkeep’s attention. The barkeep looked up from his chores at the little girl in front of him, the top of her head barely a foot and a half over the countertop. “Do you by any chance know a One-Eyed Jack? We need to talk to him,” she explained.

“One-Eyed Jack? Sure, I know ‘im!” the barkeep replied, putting the tankard in the sink. “He’s me uncle, see, and he owns this place.” He leaned over the counter, examining them more closely. “What’s your business with Jack? Maybe I can help ye.”

“We need to ask him where we can find Ratbeard.”

“Ratbeard, ye say?” the barkeep asked, thinking. “I know nothing about that. Ya just missed Jack-- he’s gone to collect, uh… rent on the other establishments he owns here. You should head on over to the Flop House, down the ramp and to the right, and talk to Sally-- Jack ought to have made it there by now,” he explained to them, picking up a dish in the sink. “If I see Jack here, I’ll tell him you’re lookin’ for ‘im!”

“Alright. Thanks for the tip,” said Kaitlyn. Without much word, they made their way back to the door and left.

As soon as the door closed, the barkeep put down his work. He untied his apron and hung it on one of the wall hooks as he made his way out the back door.

 

\-----

 

About twenty minutes later, the front door loudly slammed open. Several patrons looked up in alarm, seeing Subodai storming in with the rest of the crew in tow. 

“Oí, over here,” Jack called, waving them over. They saw that he was at a table over by the far windows rather than behind the bar this time. 

“You better have a damn good reason for sending us on a wild goose chase,” Kaitlyn told him, walking up to the table he was leaning on. 

“Sorry about that, lass, but a rabbit can't be too careful. On to business; you said you were looking for Ratbeard, correct?”

“Yes. The Frogfather sent us to tell you that he handed your favor to him over to us,” Gaspard explained to him. 

“Really? That's wonderful news! Frogfather’s favors can be, ah… difficult to repay,” he said. 

“Tell me about it,” Kaitlyn huffed. 

“Well, I do know where Ratbeard is. Or  _ was,  _ actually _. _ ”

“What do you mean,  _ was? _ ” Subodai asked, a hard edge in his voice. Jack nervously took a small step away from him. 

“Well, you see, I owed him a favor; he asked me to tell him if anyone came looking for him. So after you left, I went out and told him you three were here.”

At this, Subodai yanked him up by the front of his shirt. “You dare make a mockery of us?”

“Subodai! _Put him_ _down!_ ” Bonnie Anne said in horror.

“It was a favor! You have to understand!” Jack said frantically, trying to pull himself free.  “Look, I only just got back, you might still be able to catch him! Honest!”

“Put! Him! Down!” Kaitlyn told him. She kept tugging on his arm, but to no avail. 

“Where is he?” Subodai asked. 

“In an old ship cabin! Take the lift down and go out the front path, first left and third right!”

After a brief pause, Subodai finally let go, saying nothing before promptly leaving. “We’d better make sure he doesn't get into more trouble,” Sarah said to Bonnie before following him out. 

“I am  _ so sorry about that _ ,” Kaitlyn told Jack. 

“Hey, it's not the first time someone's threatened me,” he replied, looking a little shaken but otherwise fine. “Two favors paid in one day, and with nothing but talk! Not a bad day for old Jack.”

“Come on, Captain! We're wasting time!” Bonnie reminded her. 

“Oh! Right! Thanks Jack!”

“Anytime! Just… don't bring your friend back, alright?” he asked. 

“I'll keep it in mind!” she said before running out the door. 

 

\-----

 

Ratbeard was sitting at the makeshift table in the small, sparsely furnished cabin Jack lent him, poring over the Will. There were a few pages with riddles written on them, but one of them had the location written on it in messy cursive: a tiny, uninhabited island Gunn referred to in the Will as Bounty Island. After cross-referencing the coordinates of the place with his map, he could see it wasn't too far from Flotsam. 

A loud rattling sound interrupted his work, coming from the door. 

“Locked,” he heard a familiar voice say. He recognized it as the mouse captain he’d double-crossed for the will he was holding. “Does anyone know how to pick locks?” Panicking, he grabbed the candle on the table and started burning the papers. 

Without warning, the door crashed open, accompanied by the sound of rotten wood splintering. Ratbeard whirled around to see a gruff, angry Subodai standing there, with several chunks of the door scattered on the floor around him. 

“...Or you could do that. Sure. Why not,” Sarah commented flatly. 

Ratbeard grabbed his stool and flung it towards Subodai with all the force he could muster, tripping up the charging horse barbarian and making him lose his balance with a crash. Rat took the opportunity to make a break for the window. 

“Ye may be quick in the chase, but ye be too late!” He gloated before diving out the window. 

Kaitlyn sprinted towards the window, just barely managing to grab him by his peg leg. The force of it almost pulled her out the window along with him, and she felt one of the others pulling on her skirt to keep her from falling out. 

“Oh no you don't!” she yelled back, straining from the effort. “You're not goin’ anywhere, ya slimy backstabber!”

“Ey! Let go!” He started to kick at her hand, where she held on tight.

“Ow! Quit it! Ow!”

He continued to struggle for a moment before they heard a loud  _ snap _ . Without his weight, Kaitlyn was flung backwards through the window and into Bonnie Anne, landing both of them in a heap on the floorboards. 

“Woah! Are you alright? Where is he?” she asked. 

“I'm fine,” she replied, examining the peg she was still holding; there was a length of what looked like an old cloth strip attached to it, with the ends torn and frayed. Bonnie Anne examined it with a look of confusion.

“Is that...”

“Oh my god, I accidentally broke off his leg!” she added, hysterical with laughter. 

“What happened? Where is he?” Sarah asked, running up to the window. “Argh, he’s gone  _ again _ !” 

“Now what? We would have to search every nook and cranny of Flotsam to find where he's gone.” Bonnie Anne paused. “Do you smell something burning?”

They turned to see Subodai trying to smother a small fire on the table. 

“The Will!”

She got up and helped him finish smothering the flames. She picked up the old, yellowed papers, parts of them charred black and illegible, and examined them.

“It’s the Will, alright. Or what’s left of it, anyway.”

“What’s it say?” Sarah asked.

“I’m getting to that.” She cleared her throat. “ _Whoever reads these words, congratulations! I, Captain Gunn, being of sound mind, hereby name you my sole heir, and bequeath you a king’s ransom. To claim your treasure, walk the path I lay down here, and learn a few lessons a master pirate has to teach you. Learn these lessons, and my treasure is yours. Sail to my refuge in Corsair’s Channel, and look in the cask: there you will find the first lesson._ ” She paused, trying to make out the last portion. “ _I realize that, as a pirate, you may have no patience for an old man’s riddles. If this is the case, you can find my treasure at…_ ” 

She stopped, trying to make out the rest. “The rest is ashes,” Bonnie finished grimly. “Ratbeard’s got a shortcut, then.”

“Fantastic.” said Kaitlyn.

“There’s no way we can take the long way around and still catch up to him!” Sarah said, frustrated. Kaitlyn thought for a second.

“What if he’s slowed down?” she asked, holding up the peg leg. “If he’s missing this, he won't be getting there very quickly.”

“Meaning we still have a chance,” Sarah finished, realization dawning on her face. 

“It’s a step forward,” Kaitlyn replied, earning herself several amused looks from the others and one mildly frustrated look from Sarah.

“There’s no time to waste, then,” said Bonnie. “We’d better get to Gunn’s refuge, double-quick!”


End file.
